A/N: Thanks all, for your valuable reviews. At the end of this chapter, I identify the melody of Montaurk's chant (and the translation) and the workout song.
Chapter 32
-Trollah, Nightfall -
Hunched over his worktable, Montaurk mixed several volatile concoctions by candlelight, the violet liquid bubbling over its cone shaped beaker before quickly subsiding. Staring at it, he stroked his long white beard with trepidation.
Dear oh dear, his mind fretted. My poor lost nephew. My last attempt. Please let this work…
Picking up the beaker he levitated to the counter, carefully securing it over the low lit bunsen burner.
Grasping the pin, he increased the flame in increments, the liquid bubbling, glowing in shades of reds, greens, and indigo. With a finger, he pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his shadowy nose then rolled up his sleeves revealing skinny blue arms.
Reaching for an ancient leather-bound spells book, licking his fingers he flipped the pages to the appropriate topic before setting it against the wire holder.
Bowing his head, he centered himself, clasping his hands and lacing his fingers in a moment of reverent silence. He took a deep cleansing breath, the beaker's ghostly smoke snaking before him to the top of the thatched ceiling of his humble shack.
He began the solemn chant:
Meal a naidheachd air a h-uile rud gu h-àrd. Tha sinn ag iarraidh tròcair agus gu h-iriosal ag iarraidh ort an Orco gràdhach, Dia Uile-chumhachdach, a thoirt dhuinn air ais. Tha sinn a 'toirt taing dhut airson do fhialaidheachd choibhneil a thugadh dhuinn, as neo-airidh, O àrsaidh
The sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the old shack blowing the door nearly off its hinges, the smoke from the magical mixture filling the chambers.
Lifting his hands overhead shaping invisible symbols, the ancient magic ramped up with a roar, sparkles of white-hot heat with streaks of indigo igniting as he suddenly brought his arms down with a master stroke, the windy gust of the Spirit infiltrating the substance, the now indigo smolder oscillating wildly.
A rumbling implosion shook the tiny hutch sending glassware flying off the wooden shelving and shattering to the stone floors, Montaurk's eyes remained closed in meditation.
His eyes opened at the moment the thatched roof pealed back a window in time, a gateway to the starry heavens, visions of gaseous magenta clouds against the blue-black starry atmosphere of the universe shimmered as glowing orbs shot across his vision of sight. Ominous rolling thunder reached his ears.
Suddenly, a tiny bright red dot spinning about in the center of the gateway grew larger, Montaurk squinting to make it out.
Floating and spiraling at an enormous rate of speed, it traversed like a shot over two nearby galaxies then bypassed a red, desert-like planet before coming closer…closer…
He adjusted his spectacles as he craned his neck to read something…
The letter O.
He gasped.
"Orko!" he shouted.
xxx
-The Kingdom of Mystacore, Etheria -
The queen lie unconscious in her bedchambers, her physicians ambling about recording her progress in their tablets.
Her eyes popping open she suddenly sat up sharply, startling even her sages.
As they rushed over she stretched out a hand –
"Orko!" she yelped as golden magic shot from her palm through the ceiling deep into the skies...
x
-Crystal Castle -
The pile of rubble that once was Crystal Castle rumbled and began to glow with white heat.
Light Hope rose out of the shimmering ruins and began a blinding glow, the magic circulating until a blast of white energy skyrocketed to the skies…
x
-Greyskull, Eternia -
Meditating over D'Vann's granite throne, the Sorceress' eyes popped open.
"Orko!" she screamed.
The Castle rumbling, her arms shooting skyward her palms released a double blast of emerald energy through the stony turrets high into the starry heavens...
x
-Trollah -
His eyes wide, feeling helpless Montaurk stared at his unconscious nephew shooting through the starry landscape, tumbling out of control locked somewhere between space and time when the vision suddenly distorted.
Three strange inter-dimensional beams shot from two far off galaxies, broke through the barricade, and slammed into the helpless Trollan; one emerald, one gold, one white, shattering him into billions of little atoms scattering what was left of him far and wide, the carnage suddenly vanishing, the open window abruptly slamming shut throwing him into complete darkness.
Eerie silence, the beaker drained, the candle's flame extinguished.
"No!" he shouted, reaching out when the answer came to him.
A low rumbling slowly engulfed the elderly Trollan's shack now deafening, the blue magician covering the sides of his sorcerer's cap with his palms, his eyes squeezing shut in agony when suddenly—
An all-encompassing bright light burst through the chambers.
Instantly billions of red, blue, and black atoms hovered about him filling the crowded space before shooting to gather at the center forming a giant letter "O", finishing by morphing into the diminutive form of his nephew in mid-air.
The re-assembly completed, Orko's unconscious body dropped to the hard floor.
"Nephew!" he shouted before shooting over and gingerly lifting the boy's head. He snapped his fingers, the hut awash with light as he picked him up bridal style and levitated to a nearby cot, placing him there, pulling a warm blanket over him.
"Orko? Can you hear me?"
For a moment, his features were in shadow…darkened. Finally, two glowing yellow eyes opened and blinked furiously.
"Orko!" Montaurk shouted excitedly.
The eyes slowly met his uncle's.
"U-uncle M-montaurk? Where…a-am…I? W-when am I?" his confused voice high and pitchy.
Relieved, he replied, "You're back on Trollah, Nephew! You were gone for nearly three months!"
Blinking wearily, he put a blue hand to his junior sorcerer's cap. "Th-that long?"
His uncle nodded.
"How? Why? Wh-where was I?" his eyes went wider as he flailed about. "Oh no! Th-there's something I just gotta tell A-Adam!"
Montaurk gently nudged him back down. "Later. You must rest. You're in no shape to traverse the portal. I'll get you something to eat."
As his uncle rushed to the kitchen Orko grudgingly nodded, the headache pounding as he turned to his side pulling the blanket to his neck.
Instantly, he was asleep.
-Eternos Palace, The Crown Prince's Chambers, Midnight-
"Adam!"
Adam and Cringer sound asleep startled awake at the summons, the cat giving an involuntary yelp.
The Blond shot up in bed, the blanket dropping to his lap. Leaning over he switched on the light.
"What is it, Sorceress?"
"Uncle Montaurk found Orko! He's back on Trollah!"
The Prince gasped and clapped a hand to his forehead, his eyes welling with tears. He took his hand away. "Seriously, he's back? How is he? Is he hurt? Is he himself?"
He heard her soft chuckle. "Slow down my friend, he's fine. Somehow, Uncle M broke the spell this time. Casta and I were alerted to the unlocking of the Lost Spell by the Castles. We were then able to conjugate our beams, extract him from the 7th dimension, and return him back to his home planet."
His shoulders slumped in relief. He swiped at his eyes. "Thank you. Thank you, Sorceress."
"It was all Uncle Montaurk but you're welcome," she replied.
"So, Casta is okay?"
"She was healing nicely since our last update. I'm told she woke up and shot a beam through the walls of her palace right about the same time I was jolted out of meditation by the Spirit. Scared the sages and physicians shitless," she snorted.
Adam snorted a teary laugh, Cringer's golden gaze softening as he put his head back on his paws.
"Wait…did you say Castles? With an S?"
"Yes."
He knit his brow. "Greyskull and Mystacore?"
"No. Greyskull and Crystal Castle."
His eyebrows flew up. "Wasn't it destroyed by The Horde years ago?"
"Yes, but according to Greyskull, Light Hope's rebuilding itself under a sorcerous veil preparing for the coming conflict, concealed from prying Fright Zone eyes."
Sober, Adam nodded.
"Speaking of which, you'd better get back to sleep. I just thought you'd want to know as soon as we found out."
"I did. Thank you again, Sorceress."
"You're welcome."
With a deep breath, he switched off the light, lay back down, and tried to sleep.
-The Next Morning, The Crown Prince's Dining Room -
"He's found," Randor repeated, shocked and relieved.
Adam nodded.
The breakfast table sat stunned, Marlena covering her mouth, her hazel-blue eyes tearing.
Adora swallowed hard. "Thank The First Ones," she breathed. "Where is the original Sorceress? Was she with him?"
"No, it was him alone," her brother replied. "Greyskull still can't locate Teela'Na." Cringer plopped his head onto Adam's lap, Adam stroking his fur.
*i'm glad he's back home
"Me too, Cat."
"What did he say?"
Adam looked at his father. "Cringe said he's glad Orko's back."
His father nodded.
Regaining her composure, his mother frowned at the protein shake. "Is that all you're having, son?"
"Yes, Mom. And we have to go," the twins got up from the table, Cringer bouncing on his paws excitedly.
Eyeing the slight limp, Randor shouted after them, "Don't overwork yourself, son! You do realize you just got out of the infirmary!"
"Kinda have no choice, Dad," he tossed back without looking as the two disappeared into the hallway. The King looked at his wife.
"So this is going to be our lives? Rushing from conflict to conflict without ceasing?"
The Queen bit her lip. "If we lose? Yes."
He clenched his jaw.
- MACS0647-JD -
"Assemble my remaining barges!" Prime thundered. "Muster the rest of the troops! Activate the robotic regiments…now!"
Commander Catra bowed and turned on her heel.
"And Commander!"
Stopping she whirled. "Yes, Your Excellency?"
"Get an extraction team together. Go to the Rebellion's camp and get my brother. Return him to me."
Her eyes going wide, her mouth fell open. But it's the Whispering Woods for crying out loud! her mind protested. "Uhh…yes, Your Excellency."
His glowing eyes flickered. He cocked his head. "Don't you want to know why?"
Freezing, she didn't know how to answer that.
If she said "no", then that could enflame him, his accusation that she had no regard for his strategic acumen or passion for the mission itself.
If she said "yes", she risked sounding presumptuous. She cleared her throat.
"Most Masterful Excellency, as a superior creature your thought process is much higher than my own," she cooed. "I would not know where to begin to reason on the level you operate. You have my unconditional loyalty. I leave everything to your wisdom, Sir."
He cracked a devious smile. "As always, you know exactly what to say."
Her mouth went dry.
He waved a massive hand at her. "Go! Carry out my orders. And do not return until you have him! We have three days until victory!"
Another bow. "Yes, Most Supreme Commander."
She scampered out of the throne room.
xxx
Stepping out of the shower, Malek suddenly went dizzy.
Putting a hand to his temple, he quickly wrapped a towel around his bulging mid-section and found the steel chair, dropping hard into it.
He squealed in pain, the hard metal bruising his soft mushy backside.
Wincing, both hands went to his temples. He gasped, his eyes suddenly going round.
"My spell's been broken!"
He glanced about for his uniform.
Quickly toweling off, he hastily put on his clothes and exited his quarters, looking for the Enchantress.
"Maybe I can trick her into helping me lock onto his coordinates and kill him before Master finds out," he murmured worriedly, his gut jiggling as he took a corner. "I don't need an idiotic loose cannon like him botching my plans."
-Eternos Palace, Gymnasium -
The melody's relentless pounding drum reached the Queen out in the courtyard.
Concerned over the length of time they'd been gone, she needed to check on her children; it had been three hours since breakfast and no sign of them. Knowing her husband, Duncan, and the security team were busy readying the troops, she needed to make sure her babies were safe.
Entering the empty facility, she stepped inside, leaned against the door, and folded her arms. She gave a melancholy smile.
The twins, sweating and oblivious to her presence were wordlessly shadowboxing in synchronization side by side, bouncing on the balls of their sneakers to the throbbing rhythm; fists up, chin tucked, leading shoulder, side-punching the air to the thump of the blasting music—
*left/right/left/right – right/right – left/right – right/right - right/left/right hook – left/left – left/right/left/right – left hook/uppercut – roundhouse – left/left – left/right*
Adam's limp seemed completely healed but his forearms were still bandaged. Bare chested he wore black sweats and white sneaks.
Adora's ponytail bobbed with her movements, wearing only a black sports bra, matching leggings, and white sneaks, the pink stripes on her back making her mother frown in anger.
She watched them. Both intense. Both driven.
The Twins…determined to Defend and Protect the Twin Worlds.
Marlena tilted her head.
The playful bouncing blonde ponytail was an odd juxtaposition against the intense glare in her daughter's eyes, her brother's matching penetrating glare with an errant lock falling over his left eye no different, as if they were mercilessly pummeling Prime or Hordak in the flesh.
Determining they were "in the zone", Marlena decided not to disturb them.
He-Man and She-Ra needed to prepare…for the worst.
-Trollah -
Orko finally awakened after twelve hours of much needed sleep, his uncle attentive, hovering over him.
"How do you feel?"
The ex-patriated magician put a hand to his head, the rim of his cap curling in response. "To tell ya the truth, like I've been run over by Shadow Beasts, Uncle."
Montaurk gave a small chuckle. "After your stint in a faraway dimension there is no telling how it will affect you long-term. We need to run tests and ensure you're alright."
Orko suddenly stiffened in recollection. "What day is this?"
"Day?" his uncle repeated, baffled, "It's the 4th, Nephew."
He gasped. "The FOURTH? Oh no, I gotta tell Adam and I don't have much time!" he shrieked throwing the blankets aside and levitating off the cot.
"No, Orko! You're not well. Can't it wait—?"
"No, it can't!" he shot out of the room, his uncle close behind.
"Why not?"
His nephew stopped mid-air and whirled.
"Because I know when The Horde is going to attack!"
A/N: Montaurk's chant is set to the melody of "Ri Na Cruinne" by Clannad (one of my favorite songs). *Clannad is an Irish musical group however I wrote the prayer and translated it into Scottish Gaelic.
Translation: Blessings to the Omnipotent One above. We petition mercy and humbly ask you to return our beloved Orko to us, Most High God. We thank you for your kind generosity which has been granted to us, most undeserved, oh Ancient One.
The twins were rocking out to the rap song, "Panda" by Desiigner (spelling intentional).